Grainlady probably knows best. I've used that water to cover some veggies headed for the freezer. Not sure if it has much food value beyond a thickener.

I've saved it for soups in the past, then find it in the freezer in 1/4 pints and often toss it un-used six months later. Always meant to do some research but potatoes are cheap and the starch water is useful somewhere but only to add some liquid to veg to be frozen in our home.

i'm curious as well...

Without the salt it is dried out and used as an egg replacer in baking.

Cooked potato starch water can act as a thickener, as sleevendog mentioned. Adds some flavor and richness to breads. Add it to a green drink or smoothie. Use it on your vegetation as fertilizer. Growing up, we always tossed it in the "slop bucket" which ended up being fed to the pigs or chickens.

It actually is a good source for B vitamins, C, and potassium, but it's not a good "keeper" in the refrigerator, so use it within a few days or freeze it. I'll use potato starch water as a soup base when anyone has a lung condition. The vitamin C and potassium are beneficial for that.

-Grainlady

I use it in bread, as suggested. My grandmother always saved her potato cooking water and used that when she made bread. She made so much bread that she gave it away to neighbors, but would not throw any usable food away. I use potato starch as a thickener for sauces for vegetables, as I generally do not have leftover potato water.

I have to clarify this. Do you mean the water that you boiled the potatoes in? Does that thicken anything? Is there enough flavour in that to use in bread?

Heck I'll save some in a jar in the frig if that's the case, and use it in my bread. I did see a recipe that calls for instant potato flakes. Maybe the water would replace that. Would I use potato water instead of the water used to proof my yeast? That's the only water/liquid used in my white bread recipe.

Once upon a time for some bizarre forgotten reason I juiced a raw potato with broccoli and thought to use the solids to make a fritter. The potato starch turned it all into broccoli speckled glue fritters. One of my most disgusting kitchen moments...

I have a separate kitchen towel that I use when making latkes. Squeezing the potatoes, put grey splotches on my towel.

Our focaccia recipe uses a half a cooked potato with the water, weighed and measured.

Grating potato and briefly soaking will produce a lot of starch especially when using a cloth to help drain them. I often use the water when cooking cut potatoes for salad because it is already hot and with water issues we use it to cook other things conserving not only water but the heat and/or use it for the liquid for freezing some quick blanched veg headed for the freezer for soups.

I don't have water issues in NY but i do in the Catskills and in Newfoundland.

When making a fresh complicated meal, i'm always thinking ahead for the quick meals needed a week or two down the line....usually soups.

We really like quick soups/chowders pulled from freezer choices and still i like to add something fresh to that. Having a nice brothy starchy base makes that quick meal a bit easier.

I'm so thrilled with my leek crop this year that i'll have lots of soup choices this fall.

I've never just saved it in the fridge...might turn a bit off? I would freeze it with some of the cooked potato even if just a small pint. Would make a nice blender soup with leeks and asparagus next week or two.

Jasdip, depending on how heavily salted the water is, I'd be careful using it to proof the yeast. Doesn't salt damage yeast action? I'm not sure. (Oh Grainlady!) But yes, use potato water in your bread. Use it and powdered milk instead of milk and you'll add nutrition too.

If you have a dehydrator, you can let the starch settle to the bottom and dehydrate it. Potato starch is expensive to buy and with the paranoia these days over corn starch it's a good substitute. Drain the water off and dehydrate the starch is time consuming but easy to do. (Mrs Volfie makes makes her own potato starch video) I get a kick out of a lot of her videos.

Other uses for potato water:

• Use it in pancakes, biscuits, breads, sweet rolls.

• For people who have to water down their mashed potatoes (I want just potatoes personally, maybe a little butter), instead of draining it all and adding milk, use some of the potato water, and you can add dry milk to it.

• Can use it as a broth. Add seasonings if you like and bring it to a boil, reduce it down a bit if you want, drink it or add it to recipes that need broth.

FWIW, when making soups, stews, chili, I've been known to use water from cooking vegetables of most any kind.

Plain old potato water... whodathunkit?

Cynic, I don't salt the water. Blasphemy, isn't it? I like your ideas and the uses for it. Now all I have to do is remember to save and use it. Sigh.